Small, Home Voice Acting Studio Set Up

[SirR0bin0fS0n]

Hey guys, I'm brand new around here as of about 3 minutes ago, and I've been searching through all the threads and such, but nothing really addresses my situation. I think it's because most of the questions revolve around singing and not voice acting.

So, I have a question for anyone who's willing/able to answer it. I'm looking to assemble a makeshift recording booth to work on my voice acting, but there are a few things you should know.

First of all, I cannot sing, nor can I play an instrument. This tiny setup will be used strictly for developing my voice acting character personalities, producing podcasts and maybe the occasional YouTube video. Nothing more.

I live in a small town home with a few small closets, and I've considered converting one into a makeshift sound booth. I have a MacBook Pro with all the basic audio and video software you'd expect preinstalled. As of right now, I can't afford any mixers or professional soundboards so keep this in mind.

So, my question has 2 parts. First of all, what is the best beginner mic to purchase for such an endeavor? I'm looking to start off with a USB mic until I can get more skilled/more money, and some folks have told me that the Blue Snowball USB Mic is great for this type of task. True? False? Any other recommendations?

Secondly, What type of soundproofing would y'all recommend for a beginner such as myself? Moving blankets? Sound-proof foam? Other? Remember, this closet is very small, maybe 5x4 feet. Any expertise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys!

 

[guitarplayr82]

Yes, the Snowball is a GREAT place to start. Blue Mics are always great and I always recommend USB mics to beginners. As for sound proofing, I don't think too much is needed for you. I'm not that great in the acoustic treatment department, but you could probably get away with some blankets and pillows since you're not recording singing. If I were in your situation I would rather spend my money on some nice headphones, a pop filter, and a mic stand than sound proofing.

 

[lgas38]

my fist usb mic was a samson co1u then i bought a blue snowball wow the snowball is alot better i dont thing you would go wrong with getting a snowball they do make a shock mount for the snowball also

 

[austinm08]

You're likely going to hear from some of the vets here that recording in a "booth"/small closet is not going to do anything good for your recordings. The best option would probably be to put your PC in the closet (to keep the noise away) and record the vocals in your bedroom/office or whatever.

Some sound treatment would be good. Probably just some diffusers on the walls, really.

I'll let the pros give you some real advice, though.

 

[Kingofpain678]

my fist usb mic was a samson co1u then i bought a blue snowball wow the snowball is alot better i dont thing you would go wrong with getting a snowball they do make a shock mount for the snowball also

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was that one sentence?

 

[austinm08]

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was that one sentence?

It's what I call good grammartization.